Pan lifter



April 7, 1925.

R. A. KOTTKE FAN LIFTER Filed May 18 1923 Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

'iiNiTEn sir-Ares.

Pars-a r e RUDOLEI-I-A. KOTTKE, or nnrrnorr, sneeze-en.

PAN LIFTER.

Application filed May 18,

To all whom- 721(11/ concern:

Be it known that l, R'nnotrii A. Korrnn,

'a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county ofWayne and; State o't Michigan, have invented a new and useful PanLitter, of which the following is specification.

This invention relates to kitchen utensils and relates particularly togripping and lifting tongs tor lrane'illing hot bake pans and the like.

the object of the invention to provide a utensil of the specifiedcharacter, forming the same primarily of wire and utilizing resiliencyoi the wire to normally maintain the jaws spaced in their initialposition of engagement with an article.

In attaining this object, the invention contemplates ttormino' thecomplete device 'tron'r two lengtl'is oi; wire, looped to formco-pivotal' portions, and having co-acting handles at one side of saidportions and coacting jaws at the other side thereof, one out the handleportions functioning further as a spring, co-acting with the otherhandle portion to maintain the proper normal spacing of the jawportions.

A 'ireterred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described, andis illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in side elevalion.

. in these views the reference character 1 designates a twin pair ofjaws formed by the respective end portions of one of the lengths of wirefrom which the device is formed, and 2 is a complementary jaw formed byan end portion of the other wire. The lower (or free) ends of the jaws 1and 2 are bent slightly toward each other, as indicated at 3, thusforming seats for engagement beneath the marginal flange 4 of anordinary bake pan 5 (or similar receptacle). The jaws 1 are down-turnedupon divergent arms 6, and the jaw 2 is down-turned upon an arm 7projecting toward the arms 6 in a, direction to substantially bisect theangle between the latter arms. At their inner ends, the arms 6 are bentupwardly and twisted one about the other as indicated at 8. The arm 7,at its inner end, passes freely between the arms 6 and is then also bentupwardly, as indicated at 9. 10 is a tubular pivot member for the armsand 7. The

1923: Serial No. 629,8 7-:

arm 7', at the upper end of its portion. 9, is formed with a loop'llengaging said pivot member; and the twin a? (i, shove theirinter-twisted portions 8, rorm loops 12 em bracing the pivot member 10at each side so the loop 11. The cues of the member 10 are up-set orriveted over to hold the, loops l1 and 12 in place. Later-allyprojecting from the pivot member is a return-bent handie 13 integralwith the loop 11, the wire forming said handle terminating adjacent thepivot member in a looped keeper 14-. lntegral with. the loops 12 isformed a. U- shaped handle 15, passing freely through the keeper l-fl:and extending normally inn divergent relation to the handle 13 above thelatter. The latter acts a spring tench ing to maintain the describeddivergent relation of the handles. Said handles are thus so arrangedthat they may hehoth gripped by one hand and pressed toward each other,as for example, to the dash line position shown in The arms 6 and 7 arethus swung to the divergent relation also indicated in dash lines insaid figure and the jaws 1 and 2 are moved toward each other to grip thearticle Upon release of pressure on the handles, the lower one 18expands against the upper one 1 1-, swinging the arms 6 and 7 upon theircommon pivot 10 to again retract the jaws 1 and 2 from each other. T heupper handle is transverse to and slightly longer than the lower one, sothat the latter may enter the opening of the former, if it be nec essaryto move the jaws 1 and 2 to a rela tively near relation, as when a smallsized pan is being gripped.

It is to be noted that the described con struction locates the handles asui'licient di. tance above the jaws as to prevent discomfort to theperson using the device due to heat rising from the supported pan andits con tents. The use of wire as the material for forming substantiallythe entire device is conducive to manufacture at low cost. The range ofmovement of the jaws 1 and 2 toward each other is such as to provide forgripping any standard size of bake-pan.

VJ hat I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a pivot member, and a pair ofgripping members each formed of wire looped to embrace said pivotmember, and each forming a handle at one side of its fulcrum and an armat the other side thereof, said arms termlnatlng 1n coacting aws, one ofsaid handles functioning as a spring bearing upon the other handle tourge said gripping members apart.

2. In a device of the character described, a pivot member, and a pair ofgripping members each formed of wire looped to em brace said pivotmember, and each forming a handle at one side of its fulcrum and an armat the other side thereof, said arms terminating in coacting jaws, oneof said handles functioning as a spring bearing upon the other handle tourge said coacting jaws apart, and one o1 said handles comprising akeeper through which the other handle freely passes.

3. In a device of the character described, a pair of gripping memberseach formed of Wire and intermediately pivotally connected, said membersforming normally divergent handles at one side of their pivotalconnection and at the other side thereof forming arms terminating inco-acting jaws, one oi said handles having the nature of a. springyieldably bearing upon the other to resist converging movement of thehandles.

5!. A device as set forth in claim 3, the spring-forming handle beinglooped adjacent the pivotal connection of the handles to form a keeperloosely engaged by the other handle.

5. In a device of the character described, a pair of gripping membersformed of Wire and intermediately pivotally connected, said membersforming normally divergent handles at one side of their pivotalconnection, and one of said members forming at the other side of saidconnection a pair of divergent arms having terminal jaw portions, theother gripping member forming an arm movable about said pivotalconnection in a plane substantially bisecting the angle oi divergency orthe first mentioned pair of arms and having a direction substantiallyopposite to the bisector 0 5 said angle.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, one of said handles having thenature of a spring mfging said handles to a maximum divergency.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5, the divergent pair of arms havinginter-twistee portions transverse to the main bodies of said arms,adjacent the pivotal connection, and the other arms being bent to extendadjacent the pivotal connection in proximity to said inter-twistedportions.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

RUDOLPH A. KOTTKE.

